Effects of plyometric training on physical and physiological parameters

The purpose of the study was to find out the effects of 12 weeks of plyometric training programme on selected physical and physiological variables among high school boys. Plyometrics refers to exercise that enable muscles to reach maximal strength in as short a time as possible (power) by eliciting the stretch shortened cycle of a muscle fibre. To achieve this purpose of the study, 40 boys have been selected randomly at Govt. Higher Secondary School, Gangavalli, Salem (Dt), TamilNadu and India on the age group between fourteen to sixteen. The selected subjects were divided into two equal groups of twenty each, namely plyometric training group and control group. The experimental group has undergone twelve weeks of plyometric training, whereas the control group maintained their daily routine activities and no special training was given. All the subjects of two groups were tested on selected criterion variables namely Power, Abdomen muscle strength, Cardio-respiratory endurance and Resting pulse rate using standardized tests, namely Standing vertical jump, Bent-knee sit-ups, Cooper’s 12 minutes walk/run test and Counting on radial artery/minute test at prior to and immediately after the training period. The collected data were analyzed statistically through one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to find out the significant difference, if any among the groups. .05 level of confidence was fixed to test the level of a significance which was considered as an appropriate. The results of the study that there was significant difference among plyometric training group and control group. And also plyometric training group showed significant improvement on Power, Abdomen muscle strength, Cardio-respiratory endurance and Resting pulse rate compared to control group.